More trade fairs for disabled, says Selja

More national fairs will be organised across the country for the disabled, in order to create awareness on the latest aids and assistive technologies, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Kumari Selja said here Thursday.

“We will hold more national fairs for the disabled across the country. It will help in creating awareness and assessing and exchange of ideas amongst manufacturers and potential users, and to attract industries in this sector. This will also open opportunities to explore trading partners and technology providers to undertake mass scale manufacturing of aid and assistive devices at affordable cost,” Selja said.

Inaugurating the four day national fair ‘SWAVALAMBAN’ for the disabled, the minister said there is need to recognize requirements of many more disabilities that are arising out of modern life styles and to develop suitable assistive technologies for them.

As per census 2001, there are 2.19 crore Indians with disabilities.

The four-day national trade fair till Sunday at Pragati Maidan in central Delhi organised by the ministry’s department of disability affairs.

“Fifty-five stalls are put up which display and demonstrate new advance equipments catering to person with disabilities. Few devices like talking phones for the visually impaired, advanced cochlear implant for the deaf will be demonstrated,” said Awanish K. Awasthi, joint secretary, department of disability affairs.